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GANG OF EIGHT PLOTS PATH TO SUPERMAJORITY – Carrie Budoff Brown reports for the hometown paper: “Senate immigration negotiators are targeting as many as two dozen Republicans for a show-of-force majority — which they believe may be the only way a reform bill will have the momentum to force the House to act. Reform proponents are looking for votes far beyond the usual moderate suspects to senators in conservative bastions such as Utah, Georgia and Wyoming. The senators landed on the list because they’re retiring, representing agricultural states, anxious to get the issue behind the party, important to persuading skittish House Republicans or all of the above. But bringing along many of these staunchly conservative targets will require almost flawless execution by the Gang of Eight, along with lots of political momentum, a few more Democratic concessions and, perhaps above all else, the continued backing of Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.).

-- “Senators and their immigration reform allies insist the goal of 70-plus votes laid out last month by Gang of Eight leaders Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and John McCain (R-Ariz.) is more than just attainable under the right circumstances — it’s imperative. The legislative strategy for passing a bill is based largely on the theory that an overwhelmingly bipartisan vote in the Senate is essential to getting it through the Republican-controlled House. …

--“The Republican senators who appear most likely to support the bill include Collins, Murkowski, Dean Heller of Nevada, Mark Kirk of Illinois, Rob Portman of Ohio and Kelly Ayotte of New Hampshire. At the lower end of the first tier are senators like Orrin Hatch of Utah, Saxby Chambliss of Georgia, Pat Toomey of Pennsylvania, and Lamar Alexander and Bob Corker of Tennessee.” http://politi.co/15jPBEE

HAPPENING AT 11:30 A.M.: DeMint, who said Sunday that the immigration bill will cost trillions of dollars, hosts a news conference to unveil the details of a Heritage study on the “cost of amnesty.” Stream it live here: http://herit.ag/15k8I1m

-- This week’s markup will be a big test for the immigration bill, Seung Min reports: “Foes and friends of reform are set to offer a slew of amendments to the mammoth immigration bill this week as the Senate Judiciary Committee begins to mark it up. But observers believe that between Democrats, who hold the majority on the committee, and the two Gang of Eight Republicans who wrote the bill, it will emerge from committee largely unscathed. … The parade of amendments expected to be offered to the 844-page bill — all of which are due by 5 p.m. on Tuesday — could number dozens or more. The amendments offer a preview of the floor fight over the most sweeping changes to immigration laws in more than two decades. … The most controversial amendment — which will come from Democrats — will likely be one to allow U.S. citizens to sponsor a same-sex partner for a green card. Most Judiciary Democrats support the measure, but Republicans on and off the committee have warned that including it could kill the bill altogether.” http://politi.co/15jPHMy

SESSIONS’ FOCUS ON IMMIGRATION FIGHT IRKS COLLEAGUES – Meredith Shiner reports for Roll Call: “Sen. Jeff Sessions is running a one-man war against a comprehensive immigration overhaul, and it’s irking some of his Budget Committee colleagues. Some close to the committee have complained that Sessions, a Republican from Alabama and the ranking member on the Budget panel, has been spending most of his time — and his media platform — attacking the immigration bill proposed by a bipartisan group of eight senators, including fellow Budget member Lindsey Graham, R-S.C. During the recess week alone, Sessions’ office sent more than 30 press emails against the bipartisan framework. He held a conference call with reporters Friday to talk about immigration. Some members are frustrated that he speaks about the issue in his capacity as ranking member on Budget, yet he hasn’t made significant moves to debate the issue in committee, according to multiple sources.” http://bit.ly/10dJ6L4

TECH’S IMMIGRATION AD BLITZ -- Eric Lipton and Somini Sengupta wrote on A1 of Sunday’s New York Times: “The television advertisement that hit the airwaves in Florida last month featured the Republican Party’s rising star, Senator Marco Rubio, boasting about his get-tough plan for border security. But most who watched the commercial, sponsored by a new group that calls itself Americans for a Conservative Direction, may be surprised to learn who bankrolled it: senior executives from Silicon Valley, like Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook and Reid Hoffman of LinkedIn, who run companies where the top employees donate mostly to Democrats. The advertising blitz reflects the sophisticated lobbying campaign being waged by technology companies and their executives. They have managed to secure much of what they want in the landmark immigration bill now pending in Congress, provisions that would allow them to fill thousands of vacant jobs with foreign engineers. At the same time, they have openly encouraged lawmakers to make it harder for consulting companies in India and elsewhere to provide foreign workers temporarily to this country.” http://nyti.ms/10fVoIc

SANFORD RACES FOR REDEMPTION – POLITICO’s Alex Isenstadt reports from Charleston, S.C.: “Former Gov. Mark Sanford barnstormed South Carolina’s Lowcountry last week in a final dash for political redemption — down but not out in a special congressional election that polls show is headed for a photo finish. Sanford declared himself the underdog in Tuesday’s election and told POLITICO this will be his final campaign if he loses. He’s running behind but gaining on Democrat Elizabeth Colbert Busch in a Republican stronghold — clawing his way back with a campaign of improvisation and emotion completely unlike the carefully choreographed approach of his opponent. Sanford was self-reflective as he reckoned with the prospect of resuming a more mundane career in the private sector. He was frustrated with incessant questions about his personal problems and an unwelcome endorsement from pornographer Larry Flynt. And he flashed anger at national GOP leaders who abandoned his comeback bid.

-- “But mostly, there was genuine enjoyment of a pol who loves the game relishing the moment. ‘It’s a very big inflection point, and if it doesn’t happen, I’m forever back to the world of real estate, and I’m at peace with that,’ Sanford said as he sat in an auditorium at The Citadel, the state’s famed military academy. ‘If not, I may have another bite at the apple in terms of advancing ideas I’ve longed believed in.’” http://politi.co/ZyUthB

-- The latest poll has Sanford leading Colbert Busch 47 percent to 46 percent, well within the margin of error: http://politi.co/13XqCT9

BOEHNER: LIKE AMERICANS, HOUSE GOP ALSO DOING MORE WITH LESS – The speaker of the House writes in a POLITICO op-ed this morning: “Monday night, hardworking moms and dads will gather around their kitchen tables, parsing the bills one by one to budget for gas, groceries, mortgage payments, a school trip, a child’s birthday party. Small-business owners do the same every day — poring over their books to find ways to cut costs without cutting jobs. As the slowest economic recovery of the past half-century grinds on, Americans are making sacrifices to make ends meet. They’re doing more with less and, as the stewards of the people’s House, Republicans are keeping their pledge to do the same.

-- “Recently, House Republicans announced that — after three years in the majority — we are on track to save taxpayers more than $400 million and counting on House operations. The cost-cutting began from the very first vote our new majority took: cutting our own budget by 5 percent. Since that time, House committees have trimmed more than 23 percent off their budgets, and individual offices have cut back by more than 18 percent. House officers, including the clerk, sergeant at arms and chief administrative officer, are also doing more with less. These spending cuts have all been achieved without the need for furloughs and without compromising the promise we made of a more open and accountable government.

-- “While the White House chose to shut its doors to tourists, the U.S. Capitol has remained open to the American public. Security has been enhanced to help keep our visitors safe. And we have improved transparency with open government initiatives like providing new access to legislative documents and data and streaming House floor and committee hearings live online. … With the House budget, Republicans have shown that the federal government can, and must, do more with less.” http://politi.co/13XoPxo

FIRST LOOK: DCCC ASKS: WILL REPUBLICANS BACK THE ‘PAY WORKING FAMILIES LESS ACT?’ -- The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee will blast news releases today to 60 House districts pressuring Republicans to state how they’ll vote on a bill Dems say hurts working families. Here’s an example: “Will Congressman [Chris] Gibson follow his Republican leadership and support a bill this week that cuts overtime pay and flexibility for working families – the ‘Pay Working Families Less Act’? House Republican leaders are pushing forward this deceptive bill that they call the ‘Working Families Flexibility Act’ despite independent evaluations saying it would actually undermine overtime pay for working families. … ‘Congressman Gibson faces an important test this week – will he stand with the Republican Congress or with working families and women to protect overtime, flexibility and pay?’ asked Jesse Ferguson of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. ‘Congressman Gibson’s Republican leaders are pushing a plan to undermine overtime pay, increase workers hours and cut their pay. Will Congressman Gibson put his party allegiance to John Boehner and Eric Cantor first or will he vote against the ‘Pay Working Families Less Act?’’”

GOOD MONDAY MORNING, MAY 6, 2013, and welcome to The Huddle, your play-by-play preview of the day’s congressional news. Send tips, suggestions, comments, complaints and corrections to swong@politico.com. If you don't already, please follow me on Twitter @scottwongDC.

My new followers include @sgreenberger and @ToddRokita.

TODAY IN CONGRESS – The Senate is in at 2 p.m. and at 5:30 p.m. will vote on final passage of the online sales tax bill known as the Marketplace Fairness Act. After that, the Senate is expected to hold a procedural vote on the Water Resources Development Act.

The House meets at noon with votes expected around 6:30 p.m. Several bills will be considered under suspension of the rules: The Black Hills Cemetery Act, Vietnam Veterans Donor Acknowledgment Act, and the Pascua Yaqui Tribe Trust Land Act.

--FORMER SEN. JIM DeMINT said immigration reform will cost the country trillions of dollars, neatly encapsulating the conservative opposition to the bill, POLITICO’s Jake Sherman reports. The Heritage Foundation will release its analysis of immigration reform this week. http://politi.co/127Cthc

-- REP. TOM COTTON (R-Ark.) called for the U.S. to create a no-fly zone in Syria and to arm rebel fighters, POLITICO’s Elizabeth Titus reports. But fellow Republican Rep. Peter King, the former Homeland Security Committee chairman, warned that such a move could inadvertently aid al Qaeda. http://politi.co/10iSz4G and http://politi.co/13ch4oq

-- SEN. DICK DURBIN (D-Ill.) said Sen. Dick Durbin (D-Ill.) said the Gang of Eight’s comprehensive immigration bill he helped write “directly addresses some of the security flaws that may have been exploited by a foreign student accused of helping bombing suspect Dzhokhar Tsarnaev dispose of evidence,” the Hill’s Justin Sink reports. http://bit.ly/18MokH7

New York Times, A1, “Stories of Struggle and Creativity as Sequestration Cuts Hit Home,” By Jonathan Weisman: “Facing the task of cutting 142 children from the Head Start program in Colorado Springs this fall, the teachers and administrators came up with a creative response: Have the children decorate empty chairs, then sell them for $500 apiece to stave off the worst of the across-the-board federal cuts heading their way. So far, in a month, their “Fill a Seat” fund-raiser has filled just two slots in the program. But in neighboring Wyoming, the Yellowstone and Grand Teton National Parks were able to tap the deep pockets and political influence of affluent donors and the support of neighboring communities to maintain full park operations through the peak tourist season this summer. The $85 billion in federal budget cuts known as sequestration are beginning to be felt far from the nation’s capital, like at a Head Start program in Pejepscot, Me., that is being closed and a cancer center in Birmingham, Ala., that is looking at layoffs. Kidney patients are losing their free transportation to dialysis centers in Stark County, Ohio, and flood gauges are being shut down on the Red River in North Dakota. Some programs are coping, some are struggling and others appear to be out of luck.” http://nyti.ms/10dDK2o

ONLINE SALES TAX BILL COULD FACE BUMPY ROAD IN HOUSE – Siobhan Hughes and John D. McKinnon write for the Wall Street Journal: “A bill that effectively would end tax-free online shopping appears to be sailing smoothly toward Senate passage Monday but will hit choppier waters in the Republican-controlled House, where antitax sentiment is stronger. Opponents portray the bill as a tax increase and say it would burden small online businesses with complex tax-collection responsibilities. Supporters say the bill would enable states to collect sales taxes that already are owed, not create a new tax or raise tax rates. ‘It's probably more complicated in the House,’ said Rep. Steve Womack (R., Ark.), the chief House supporter of the bill. ‘There's a lot of political difficulty getting through the fog of it looking like a tax increase.’” http://on.wsj.com/11aOKoA

HOUSE GOP TIES DEBT HIKE TO TAX REFORM – Jake Sherman and Steven Sloan report for POLITICO: “It’s never been easy for House Republicans to raise the debt limit. They’ve used massive spending cuts to attract support. Earlier this year, they raised the nation’s borrowing limit with a stipulation that Senate Democrats would, for the first time in years, pass a budget or risk their paychecks. Now, momentum is building to tie a rewrite of the Tax Code to hiking the debt cap, which will need to be raised by the fall because the limit will technically be hit this month. Top lawmakers and aides on the House Ways and Means Committee have quietly begun mulling over and crafting mechanisms that would attempt to ‘commit Washington’ to tax reform over the next five months, several sources involved with the planning say. One framework that has gained significant traction — and has been ricocheting around K Street and Capitol Hill — would directly wed increases in the debt ceiling to progress in tax reform.” http://politi.co/13XvEyN

HOUSE, SENATE AT IMPASSE OVER BUDGET – Ginger Gibson reports for POLITICO: “House and Senate negotiators have reached an impasse over how to move forward on their respective budget proposals — making any chance of a compromise budget deal to slash the deficit less likely. The prospects that Budget Committee Chairs Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.) and Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) could reach a deal to hold a budget conference committee are dimming as each side is pushing for different things before a conference can even begin. House Republicans want a ‘framework’ crafted first, which would include a broad-stroke agreement on taxes, spending and the deficit. Senate Democrats want to head straight to a conference committee and are pushing back against ‘closed-door negotiations.’” http://politi.co/15jPDwt

FINAL CUT FOR HOUSE BARBER – Michael Laris wrote on A1 of the Washington Post over the weekend: “Nurney Mason cut Tip O’Neill’s thick, white head of hair. For decades, he’s been giving Charlie Rangel a trim. John Conyers Jr. would sometimes come by twice in a single day just to fix anything that wasn’t quite right. On Friday, after three decades tidying up the titans of Congress and their underlings, Mason stood behind his barber’s chair in the basement of the Rayburn House Office Building for a final few customers: Capitol Police Sgt. George McCree got a Temple Taper. Shoeshine man Al Bolden had an Even All Over. Simon Baugher, an assistant to Rep. Lois Frankel (D-Fla.), got the sides short. ‘People come and go through these offices and the Hill,’ Baugher said. But the barbers ‘are the ones that have the staying power.’

--“Mason’s first day on the job was May 3, 1983, which made Friday his 30th anniversary. It was supposed to be the perfect moment for a goodbye celebration. But one of Mason’s twin daughters, Faye, died unexpectedly Wednesday after being hospitalized Sunday with pneumonia. When his wife called him with the news of Faye’s death, Mason kept driving toward Capitol Hill and showed up for work in Room B323 — just as he always had.” http://wapo.st/10dAbsS

GIFFORDS GIVEN ‘COURAGE’ AWARD – The AP reports: “Former U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords received the 2013 Profile in Courage award at the John F. Kennedy Library on Sunday in recognition of the political, personal, and physical courage she has demonstrated in her fearless public advocacy for policy reforms aimed at reducing gun violence. Giffords, who was seriously wounded in a 2011 shooting when a lone gunman opened fire as she met with constituents in a Tucson, Ariz., shopping mall, and her husband, former astronaut Mark Kelly, have been lobbying for more gun control legislation. This year, on the second anniversary of the January shooting, the couple started Americans for Responsible Gun Ownership, an organization that ‘supports the right to bear arms and responsible public policy on guns and gun ownership.’ Caroline Kennedy, President of the John F. Kennedy Library Foundation, presented the award to Giffords. … In presenting the award to the former Arizona Congresswoman, Kennedy said, ‘Gabby Giffords has turned a personal nightmare into a movement for political change.’” http://yhoo.it/1064wxC

HILL TASK FORCE AIMS TO PARE BACK CRIMINAL CODE – Gary Fields and Neil King Jr. report for the WSJ: “Congress plans this week to create a new, bipartisan task force to pare the federal criminal code, a body of law under attack from both parties recently for its bloat. The panel, which will be known as the House Committee on the Judiciary Over-Criminalization Task Force of 2013, will comprise five Republicans and five Democrats. It marks the most expansive re-examination of federal law since the early 1980s, when the Justice Department attempted to count the offenses in the criminal code as part of an overhaul effort by Congress. … Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R., Wis.) a longtime champion of overhauling the code, will lead the task force. He is expected to reintroduce a bill he has tried to get through several congresses that would cut the size of the criminal code by a third. ‘Overcriminalization is a threat to personal liberty and an expensive an inefficient way to deal with a lot of problems,’ he said.” http://on.wsj.com/12aTciH

FRIDAY’S TRIVIA WINNER – There were actually three correct answers: Tom Flanagin correctly guessed that, other than the Canadian-born Sen. Ted Cruz, Sens. Mazie Hirono (Japan), Michael Bennet (India) and John McCain (Panama Canal Zone) also were not born in the U.S.

TODAY’S TRIVIA – Katie Vlietstra, president of the Women Under Forty PAC, has today’s question: With news that Rep. Jaime Herrera-Beutler is expecting, who was the first woman to give birth while serving in Congress and in what year did it take place? First to correctly answer gets a mention in the next day’s Huddle. Email me at swong@politico.com.

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